Etymologically
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retracto

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 17 October 2026 at 01:38. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [rɛˈtrak.toː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [reˈtrak.to][1]

Forms

retractō (present infinitive retractāre, perfect active retractāvī, supine retractātum); first conjugation[1] Many manuscripts spell it retrectō.[2][3]

Etymology

It is from Latin re- + tractō (“to handle”), the frequentative of trahō “to draw”.[4][1] De Vaan reconstructs ⟨trahō⟩ as Proto-Italic *traxe/o-.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are Cicero and Lucretius.[4] Köbler dates Cicero 81–43 BC and Lucretius 96–55 BC.[6]

Semantic evolution

In the sense “to draw back” it meant to draw back into oneself, as in Lucretius; to unravel threads, as in Apuleius; to hang back, shrink, as in Cicero; and to revoke, retract, as in Virgil.[4] In the sense “to handle again” it meant to take tools or arms in hand again, as in Virgil; to deal with again, revise, as in Cicero; and to go over in one's mind, recollect, as in Ovid.[4][3]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means to reconsider, revise, review, withdraw, retract, refuse.[7] It survives as Italian ritrattare and Spanish retractar.[1]

Timeline

  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of drawing back.[4][6]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of hesitation and revision.[4][6]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of retracting and of handling again.[4][6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To draw back; to hang back, shrink.[4]
  2. To retract, revoke.[4][7]
  3. To handle again.[4][2]
  4. To deal with again, revise.[4][7]
  5. To go over in the mind, recollect.[4]

Word family

  • retractātiō
  • retractator
  • retractātus

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  6. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  7. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson